The 11 Best Shampoos for Winter (2024)

BEAUTY

For every hair type and concern.

by Maryam Lieberman

Updated:

Originally Published:

The 11 Best Shampoos for Winter (1)

Photographed by Harley Weir, styled by Brian Molloy

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High-performance shampoos often fly under the radar, overshadowed by more hyped products like hair masks and leave-in conditioners. Yet, the shampoo you choose plays a pivotal role in the overall health of your hair. As the initial step in cleansing and preparing both scalp and strands, your shampoo should be tailored to your hair’s needs. Even if you’re splurging on an $80 conditioning mask, the right shampoo is essential for hydration and repair, setting the stage for all the other product applications that follow.

As the weather gets colder, your hair will likely undergo the usual changes—becoming oilier, drier, thinner, or prone to shedding (which is usually quite normal this time of year). A good clarifying shampoo can remove buildup from hard water and products, while a nourishing scalp treatment fosters daily growth and overall vitality. It’s safe to say selecting the right shampoo is fundamental to maintaining healthy, radiant hair and requires commitment. To streamline your hair routine, we’ve assembled a collection of the best shampoos currently on the market designed to meet your unique needs.

For Oily Hair

This shampoo is further proof that you never need to second guess anything that comes from this Danish haircare line. Our hair responded beautifully to this shampoo for several reasons. It gently cleanses without drying, regulating excess sebum without stripping to maintain a healthy, balanced scalp and follicles. The star ingredient, burdock root, is rich in vitamins A and C, and is key in helping balance sebum levels and protecting the scalp from oxidative stress caused by heat and environmental factors. The result is a refreshed, nourished scalp and revitalized hair, with a restored, natural balance.

For Fine Hair That Needs Volume

Often in cold weather, hair becomes even flatter and drier. This shampoo works hard to give beautiful body for the finest and limpest hair thanks to the infusion of plant stems cells, rich peptides, and caffeine, thickening the appearance of strands and yielding lush fullness.

To Smooth Frizz

Piling on sweaters, jackets, scarves, and hats during the winter months inevitably leads to lots of static and frizz. This shampoo, from the Stockholm-based vegan beauty brand Maria Nila, tames flyaways with ease. The addition of argan oil in the formulation truly softens strands, and we love that this brand is focused on color maintenance with every wash.

For Curly Hair

Why do those blessed with curls need a shampoo that addresses their hair type? For a variety of reasons, curly hair is naturally more challenging to hydrate due to its strand structure. We found Virtue’s Curl Shampoo effectively addresses this issue. It works magnificently across a range of curl types—from finer, softer ringlets to more dense textures, providing deep hydration without compromising the actual integrity of the curl. From the first application, hair is well-moisturized, curls are defined and maintain their natural shape and resilience.

Best for Clearing Product Buildup

Simply put, the O.G. still reigns supreme. This shampoo remains the gold standard for clarifying. Removing excess buildup is essential for healthy hair, and this is one of our faves. Infused with soothing peppermint oil (which gives a nice, cool tingle on the scalp) and nourishing plant extracts, this shampoo should be a vital step in any haircare routine. We recommend that you leave it on for at least two minutes to get the best scalp and hair benefits.

A Hydrating Shampoo That Also Extends Your Color

Constant heat styling and color treatments means hydration is the true cornerstone of great hair all year round. Still, winter aims to rob your strands of natural oils and dull your color—and this trusted brand delivers hair that's undeniably healthy and hydrated. At $37, this shampoo lasts a long stretch of time, and a little goes a long way.

For Thinning Hair

This shampoo is all about giving your scalp the care it needs for healthier, more vibrant hair in the long run, especially if it’s been thinning as of late. Providing it’s not a thyroid or hormonal issue, we recommend this product because the prebiotic formula gently nourishes all hair types without drying it out, leaving the locks feeling soft and hydrated. Ginseng and niacinamide not only cleanse but create a balanced scalp environment that supports thicker, stronger hair.

To Repair Weak, Damaged Hair

Nothing else compares to Shu Uemura’s Extreme Reset Shampoo. If you’re using heat tools regularly, this product stands out as the ultimate winter defense for revitalizing damaged hair. This powerful shampoo delivers shiny and healthy hair. Infused with high-grade Japanese rice extract, it smooths and strengthens your strands, ensuring lasting vitality and frizz control. Enriched with ceramides—a potent hydrating lipid—and moringa oil, a reparative hero ingredient known for its anti stress properties, the extreme reset nourishes, restores, and imparts a brilliant, moisture-rich shine.

To Remove Metal Buildup From Hard Water

If you’re in New York or Los Angeles, our water often contains metals like chlorine, ammonia, and copper, which can all build up on hair strands over time. This not only dulls your hair color but also compromises its quality, leaving it looking lackluster. Always at the forefront of hair science, L'Oréal Professionnel has developed a sulfate-free shampoo specifically formulated to remove hard-water buildup, including heavy metals. From the first application, this shampoo restores your hair’s natural shine and vitality. For optimal results, we recommend following up with the accompanying mask.

To Revitalize Your Blonde

There are tons of blonde-correcting purple shampoos on the market. But in terms of winter hair needs and efficiency, Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo was our pick. Favored by celeb colorist Matt Rez (who has worked on the coifs of Adele, Penelope Cruz, Addison Rae, Natalie Portman, and many more), this argan oil-rich, hydrating formula kept blonde hair soft and vibrant. What’s more, this product is sulfate-free, which protects your color and is gentler on the scalp when cleansing.

Best Dry Shampoo for Wintertime

For some reason, winter air seems to attract more dirt and odor to the hair, likely due to the constant shift between indoor heating and the outdoor chill. This makes dry shampoo a seasonal essential that we always keep handy during the colder months. Of all the options we tested, Klorane stood out as the dry shampoo winner for being the freshest, cleanest to the touch, and keeping hair looking its best. Its oat milk and rice formula refreshes the scalp while being gentle—no white residue on darker locks, either.

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The 11 Best Shampoos for Winter (2024)
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